Moving towards a Network of Autonomous UAS Atmospheric Profiling Stations for Observations in the Earth’s Lower Atmosphere: The 3D Mesonet Concept
The deployment of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to collect routine in situ vertical profiles of the thermodynamic and kinematic state of the atmosphere in conjunction with other weather observations could significantly improve weather forecasting skill and resolution. High-resolution vertica...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-06-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/12/2720 |
| _version_ | 1828146511198814208 |
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| author | Phillip B. Chilson Tyler M. Bell Keith A. Brewster Gustavo Britto Hupsel de Azevedo Frederick H. Carr Kenneth Carson William Doyle Christopher A. Fiebrich Brian R. Greene James L. Grimsley Sai Teja Kanneganti Joshua Martin Andrew Moore Robert D. Palmer Elizabeth A. Pillar-Little Jorge L. Salazar-Cerreno Antonio R. Segales Mark E. Weber Mark Yeary Kelvin K. Droegemeier |
| author_facet | Phillip B. Chilson Tyler M. Bell Keith A. Brewster Gustavo Britto Hupsel de Azevedo Frederick H. Carr Kenneth Carson William Doyle Christopher A. Fiebrich Brian R. Greene James L. Grimsley Sai Teja Kanneganti Joshua Martin Andrew Moore Robert D. Palmer Elizabeth A. Pillar-Little Jorge L. Salazar-Cerreno Antonio R. Segales Mark E. Weber Mark Yeary Kelvin K. Droegemeier |
| author_sort | Phillip B. Chilson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The deployment of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to collect routine in situ vertical profiles of the thermodynamic and kinematic state of the atmosphere in conjunction with other weather observations could significantly improve weather forecasting skill and resolution. High-resolution vertical measurements of pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction are critical to the understanding of atmospheric boundary layer processes integral to air−surface (land, ocean and sea ice) exchanges of energy, momentum, and moisture; how these are affected by climate variability; and how they impact weather forecasts and air quality simulations. We explore the potential value of collecting coordinated atmospheric profiles at fixed surface observing sites at designated times using instrumented UAS. We refer to such a network of autonomous weather UAS designed for atmospheric profiling and capable of operating in most weather conditions as a 3D Mesonet. We outline some of the fundamental and high-impact science questions and sampling needs driving the development of the 3D Mesonet and offer an overview of the general concept of operations. Preliminary measurements from profiling UAS are presented and we discuss how measurements from an operational network could be realized to better characterize the atmospheric boundary layer, improve weather forecasts, and help to identify threats of severe weather. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:48:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-84b18f00eaab4782b075b37716c6c461 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:48:22Z |
| publishDate | 2019-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-84b18f00eaab4782b075b37716c6c4612022-12-22T04:03:57ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202019-06-011912272010.3390/s19122720s19122720Moving towards a Network of Autonomous UAS Atmospheric Profiling Stations for Observations in the Earth’s Lower Atmosphere: The 3D Mesonet ConceptPhillip B. Chilson0Tyler M. Bell1Keith A. Brewster2Gustavo Britto Hupsel de Azevedo3Frederick H. Carr4Kenneth Carson5William Doyle6Christopher A. Fiebrich7Brian R. Greene8James L. Grimsley9Sai Teja Kanneganti10Joshua Martin11Andrew Moore12Robert D. Palmer13Elizabeth A. Pillar-Little14Jorge L. Salazar-Cerreno15Antonio R. Segales16Mark E. Weber17Mark Yeary18Kelvin K. Droegemeier19School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USASchool of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USASchool of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USACenter for Autonomous Sensing and Sampling, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USASchool of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USASchool of Aviation Studies, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USACenter for Autonomous Sensing and Sampling, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USASchool of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USASchool of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USAAdvanced Technology Initiatives, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Durant, OK 74701, USACenter for Autonomous Sensing and Sampling, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USASchool of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USASchool of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USASchool of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USASchool of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USACenter for Autonomous Sensing and Sampling, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USACenter for Autonomous Sensing and Sampling, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USACooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USAAdvanced Radar Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USASchool of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USAThe deployment of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to collect routine in situ vertical profiles of the thermodynamic and kinematic state of the atmosphere in conjunction with other weather observations could significantly improve weather forecasting skill and resolution. High-resolution vertical measurements of pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction are critical to the understanding of atmospheric boundary layer processes integral to air−surface (land, ocean and sea ice) exchanges of energy, momentum, and moisture; how these are affected by climate variability; and how they impact weather forecasts and air quality simulations. We explore the potential value of collecting coordinated atmospheric profiles at fixed surface observing sites at designated times using instrumented UAS. We refer to such a network of autonomous weather UAS designed for atmospheric profiling and capable of operating in most weather conditions as a 3D Mesonet. We outline some of the fundamental and high-impact science questions and sampling needs driving the development of the 3D Mesonet and offer an overview of the general concept of operations. Preliminary measurements from profiling UAS are presented and we discuss how measurements from an operational network could be realized to better characterize the atmospheric boundary layer, improve weather forecasts, and help to identify threats of severe weather.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/12/2720atmospheric boundary layermeteorologyforecastingrisk mitigationsensor integrationunmanned aerial systems |
| spellingShingle | Phillip B. Chilson Tyler M. Bell Keith A. Brewster Gustavo Britto Hupsel de Azevedo Frederick H. Carr Kenneth Carson William Doyle Christopher A. Fiebrich Brian R. Greene James L. Grimsley Sai Teja Kanneganti Joshua Martin Andrew Moore Robert D. Palmer Elizabeth A. Pillar-Little Jorge L. Salazar-Cerreno Antonio R. Segales Mark E. Weber Mark Yeary Kelvin K. Droegemeier Moving towards a Network of Autonomous UAS Atmospheric Profiling Stations for Observations in the Earth’s Lower Atmosphere: The 3D Mesonet Concept Sensors atmospheric boundary layer meteorology forecasting risk mitigation sensor integration unmanned aerial systems |
| title | Moving towards a Network of Autonomous UAS Atmospheric Profiling Stations for Observations in the Earth’s Lower Atmosphere: The 3D Mesonet Concept |
| title_full | Moving towards a Network of Autonomous UAS Atmospheric Profiling Stations for Observations in the Earth’s Lower Atmosphere: The 3D Mesonet Concept |
| title_fullStr | Moving towards a Network of Autonomous UAS Atmospheric Profiling Stations for Observations in the Earth’s Lower Atmosphere: The 3D Mesonet Concept |
| title_full_unstemmed | Moving towards a Network of Autonomous UAS Atmospheric Profiling Stations for Observations in the Earth’s Lower Atmosphere: The 3D Mesonet Concept |
| title_short | Moving towards a Network of Autonomous UAS Atmospheric Profiling Stations for Observations in the Earth’s Lower Atmosphere: The 3D Mesonet Concept |
| title_sort | moving towards a network of autonomous uas atmospheric profiling stations for observations in the earth s lower atmosphere the 3d mesonet concept |
| topic | atmospheric boundary layer meteorology forecasting risk mitigation sensor integration unmanned aerial systems |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/12/2720 |
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